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Father sues Google, claiming Gemini chatbot drove son into fatal delusion (techcrunch.com)
submitted 6 months ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] 16 points 6 months ago (5 children)

Are we surprised some people's thought processes and decision making might turn extreme when exposed to this?

Yes, actually. I'm not doubting the power of language, but I cannot ever see something anyone ever says alter my sense of reality or right from wrong.

I had a "friend" say to me recently "why do you always go against the grain?" My reply was "I will go against the grain for the rest of my life if it means doing or saying what's right".

I guess my point is that I have a very hard time relating to this.

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  • [–] 12 points 6 months ago (4 children)

    I guess my point is that I have a very hard time relating to this.

    That's fair. In the same vein, you might find a priest that tells you to stop smoking for your health no matter how you phrase the question about lighting up and prayer. What people are receptive to is going to vary.

    I'd like argue that more of us are susceptible to this sort of thing than we suspect, but that's not really something that can be proved or disproved. What seems pretty certain is that at least some of us are at risk, and given all the other downsides of chatbots, it'd be best to regulate them in a hurry.

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  • [–] 5 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    Sure, that's why propaganda can be so powerful. It's not just what is said, it's how it's said. And pretty much everyone if 3 vulnerable to the right propaganda - especially people who think they're not vulnerable to propaganda.

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  • [–] 2 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    you might find a priest that tells you to stop smoking for your health no matter how you phrase the question about lighting up and prayer. What people are receptive to is going to vary.

    Ya, I've read the thing about praying and smoking in another comment. The funny thing is that I have very specific opinions about smoking and would argue that smoking while praying is disrespectful, but God would listen in any case.

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  • [–] 4 points 6 months ago

    It's more about how the slightly different questions lead the hypothetical priest to two separate and contradictory conclusions than disrespecting God.

    At any rate, all opinions on tobacco and prayer are fine by me, just watch out for any friends you think might be talking to chatbots a little too much.

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